BLAIR watchers are excited as the respectable commentator Johnathan Friedland seriously suggests that Mr B might not see out this year. "These first 10 days have disproved two of his core, pre-war arguments: that Saddam has weapons of mass destruction and that his people would instantly see foreign invasion as liberation." "Diplomatically he is being humiliated, running to Washington or Camp David or wherever Bush summons him, only to receive the most meagre reward." "Even a UN role after the war is too much for the US."

Most telling of all, the Palestine question. Blair has a promise that the US will publish its roadmap to peace in the region. Last week, that mytical doucment would appear once the Palestinians have named a Prime Minister, and Abu Mazen got the gig. On Tuesday, it transpired that a whole cabinet was needed. On Thursday, Blair claimed Abu Mazen's "confirmation had to be properly administered". No, don't ask us to explain that, we don't know either.

Friedland suggests that the best guarantee for Blair's survival is the lack of credible replacements. This may not be enough.

Over to the USA, where Hubert McAllister was attempting to drive his car down I-40 near Ohio. Unfortunately for Hubert, a lot of other people had the same idea, and there's a rather large traffic jam. No one is moving for miles and miles around. It's a bit like that REM video, really...

Someone knocks at Hubert's window. He winds down the glass lowers the window and asks "Whazzup?"

The stranger chides him for using the fashionable phrase from three years ago, then tells him: "Terrorists have kidnapped President Bush. They're demanding 10 million dollars, otherwise they will soak him with gasoline and burn him!"

"Aha!" responds Hubert.

"You see," the other man says , "we're going from car to car, collecting for him."

"And how much are people donating, on average?" asks Hubert.

"A gallon."

Some British Rail guards go on strike today. But not all. According to Het Graun, "Major operators like [..] Chiltern Railways are running normal services." Too right! Chiltern Railways, major operator. Vermin Trains, not so much fly-by-night minor leaguers as crawl-by-night minor leaguers.

Martin Stanford on KYTV News: "And now we've got some pictures the American military wants us to show you. Er, pictures the American military has given us to show you".

Morocco's contribution: 2000 monkeys trained to detect land mines. Do they eat cheese?

From het Graun: Wilhemina Hoedeman, Sydney, Australia

Excuse me sir, are we so fast asleep in this world that we allow our governments to take us to war (war means killing soldiers = people)? Or that we allow them to threaten massive destruction of a people's country for more than six months? Or that we allow them to insult us by calling the showing of 'real' war footage a breach of some convention - 'real' war footage which is horrible deaths, obscene killings, torture, woundings, and an absolute disregard for human life, value and achievements.

Long live the network that will show people what is real about war - killing, killing and more killing. We need to see it, we need to wake up from our mental concepts and really understand the enormous suffering and destruction we are willfully causing. Wake up Tony Blair - you wanted this war, you made this bed, full of innocent blood, now be brave enough to lie in it! Showing wounded and dead people is essential to make all of us westerners a little human.

I also suspect that the Rumsfelds, Bushes and Blairs did not complain out of compassion for the victims; they complain because they don't want us to see how really obscenely disgusting war is, because then we'll never support war anymore. Now that really is obscene.

ITV has changed the name of the conflict in the Persian Gulf. According to the monkey, it's no longer "War Against Iraq," but "War Against Sadaam." Vive la difference.

Say "Grr Arg" to this week's BUFFY popup. (Shim: get Mark to explain this to you.)

I've deliberately not updated the BLAIR since war broke out, so that the initial reaction wears off, and we can take a more balanced view.

Just under a week in, and balance is beginning to assert itself. Even though he's a war criminal, Blair has become more popular. This is a strange phenomenon where a lot of people tend to rally round their leaders in times of national crisis. It doesn't matter that their leaders have deliberately precipitated that crisis, the popularity surge continues.

It's pretty much for that reason that the BLAIR was going to rise by six points: a whole host of people thought Blair was doomed, but now don't.

Then C4's poll came out, showing that a third of Labour supporters think Mr B should resign if there's no evidence of CBN weapons. So far, there's no evidence of CBN weapons.

On internet auctions, the highest bid wins - unless the item on sale is a laser printer from CompAtlanta and the bidder happens to be Canadian.

That's what a tax consultant discovered last week when he tried to buy a printer, but was refused by the vendor when it was discovered he lived in Vancouver.

David I received notification that his winning bid of USD 24.50 (EUR 23) had been cancelled, along with this message: "At the present time, we do not ship to, or accept bids from, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany or any other country that does not support the United States in our efforts to rid the world of Saddam Hussein. If you are not with us, you are against us." [this modern world]

A writer on Ars Technica asks: what are Tuesdays for? Are they the most productive day of the week, as a series of experiments once showed? Are they the day most likely to be the 3rd of the month, a corollary of the claim that Fridays are most likely to be the 13th? Are they part of the filler between the end of one weekend and the start of the next? Is Tuesday the new Monday? Shall we ask Thursday Next?

In an effort to combat illegal sticker advertisements being stuck to every surface in urban areas, the Chinese government has started spamming the advertisers back.

Shady businesses advertise their services by printing thousands of stickers saying what they do and giving mobile numbers at which they can be reached. They then stick these tackies anywhere and everywhere, causing one hell of a mess. The government has responded by noting phone numbers on such ads, and then entering them into a system that calls them every 20 seconds with this message:

"You have broken the law by posting illegal ads. You must immediately stop this activity and go to the Hangzhou Urban Administrative Bureau for punishment."

And that, my friends, counts as a telephonic denial of service attack. Potential customers can't get through, and recent advertisement efforts are rendered useless should the advertisers change numbers.

Now, what's to stop us doing the same thing for email spam? The unsolicited email is utterly useless if some kind of contact information isn't present, be it a phone number, a website, though rarely signs of A Clue. One could easily build (D)DoS networks that could react to spam in real time. Attacking websites would be far more devastating than bouncing back mail.

We have the choice to follow our own path.
The choice to stay, the choice to go.
The choice to arrive, the choice to leave.

We are creatures of our own volition.
The will to think, the will to act.
The will to exist, the will to cease.

We exist in opportunity.
The chance to advance, the chance to retreat.
The chance to take a chance, the chance to play it safe.

We are all actors in our own play.
The mask of friendship, the mask of enmity.
The mask of jealousy, the mask of support.

We can do all these things.
Seize the opportunity, let it pass through the fingers.
Know our limitations, or plough through the nettles and get stung anyway.

We have the choice to follow our own path.

A strange, half-asleep kind of day. Didn't really wake up till gone nine, by which time I'd been in work (physically, if not mentally) for a half hour. Then what must be the quietest Tuesday on record: half a dozen calls, three emails in, allowing me to catch up on all the old jobs and write the documentation I'd been meaning to write for ages. I'll pay for it tomorrow, when all the new machines arrive with their new owners, and they all call up because that's what our instruction notes tell them to do.

Though I did have to go "negotiate" and "research" with one particular group of users. They've been coddled and cossetted and become completely used to getting their own way. Now there's a new member joining the group, and they want a laser printer for him. Two printers between the four is easily justified, and given the layout of their office, there's a case for three. Four is not gonna happen. No group gets one printer each. But when they began to realise that I wasn't going to recommend yet another printer, the hostility flowing from them! Enough to knock me back, and leave me just about standing.

A bit of an MSCL moment in one of the comments in Songmonk's journal. (Comment by gopackgo at 00:08)

Saying that Saddam Hussein is doing a "good job" in this regard reminds me of my sophomore year American Studies class in high school, when our teacher asked if Adolf Hitler was a "good leader." He was trying to get us to feel out whether you could separate the level of job performance as a leader from the motives and intent while in the role.

And I'm transported back to The Pilot Episode, where Angela comes out with this remark about how Anne Frank was "lucky" to be stuck in this small room with a guy she had a crush on. Crass, insensitive, and yet there is a point there.

Incidentally, MSCL comes up with the one contrapositive to Godwin's law, that the first person to invoke the Nazis in an argument has lost it. What's more, when "The Substitute" was written in spring 1993, Godwin's law was only known in the towers of academia that constituted the pre-web internet, hence there's no compelling evidence that the writers actually knew of that law, nor of its effects. This just goes to show that Godwin's law applies in real life.

(Duh)².

This'll be a steal from Edith, then.

What was the last phone call you received?
Received? At home, most likely dad. Made? Someone with a lovely voice.

What are you doing at the moment?
Wondering why that woman keeps wandering around rustling sheets of paper and giving off "don't bother me, i'm far more self-important than you'll ever be" vibes.

What were the last three things you consumed that contained sugar?
Breakfast cereal, orange juice, and (erm) a bit of chocolate last night.

Last thing you put on your face?
Water!

Last movie you saw?
What are these "movies" of which thou speaketh?

Did you eat too much chocolate over the last few days?
No.

Have you wrecked something of your own in the last 24 hours?
No.

What can you hear now?
Missy Self-Important, Missy Annoying-Laugh, the whirr of the fans.

Think anyone will read/copy this survey?
For sure.

If you were one of the seven dwarfs?
Sleepy.

Something designed for kids but you love it anyway:
Er, pass.

What time is it?
1013.

Name three pieces of trash around you:
Missy Self-Important, Missy Annoying-Laugh, envelopes.

If you were given the chance to see evil, would you?
You're assuming I've not already looked into evil's face, and spat in the sockets where its eyes should be.

If you could choose your talent, what would it be?
Travel in time and space.

Have you ever seen a suicide?
No.

Have you ever tried to fool someone?
Yes.

Can you stand being alone?
Yes.

Do anything artistic today/yesterday?
This counts as artistic. A good deal of writing yesterday, and the photos on Sunday.

A colour you like to wear:
Sea blue.

A flower you would like to grow in a garden:
No ta.

Your lucky number:
e

Movies you can watch over and over:
No.

Your favourite clothing:
For me? Long-sleeved shirts, smart trousers. For others? Whatever makes them look appropriately hot - for some people, that's going to be an arctic outfit; for others, absolutely anythning.

Your favourite place to sit at home:
On the beanbag.

Something you like to do on a Sunday:
Sleep, listen to good MP3s.

If you could afford it right now, you would buy:
Private jet, flying lessons, citizenship for the US, and then we'll see about the material stuff (:

Your prized possession:
Trinket from Tucson, memories, diaries, writing.

If your house was on fire and you could only save 4 items what would they be:
Computer, trinket, books, CDs.

Three traits you look for in a friend:
Understanding, sense of humour, confidence to tell me when I'm wrong.

Things you are often complimented for:
Persistence, calmness (it's torpor, really ;) and intelligence.

What makes you happy:
Sunshine, silliness, coffee, chocolate, random acts of kindness.

Do you keep a diary?
Foolish question.

Do you like to cook?
No.

Do you have a secret you have not shared with anyone?
Yes.
No, I'm not saying what it is!

Do you fold your underwear?
No. You can't with gentlemen's underwear.

Do you talk in your sleep?
Not that I know.

Do you eat fast?
Sometimes.

Do you set your watch/clock a few minutes ahead?
No, an inaccurate clock just annoys me.

Do you believe in love?
Not much.

Song of the moment:
"I'm With You". So shoot me.

What's your name, last, first, then middle initial?:
Weaver, Iain, T.

Height, weight, and eye colour?:
180cm, between 5 and 500kg, blue-green-grey.

What's your favourite past-time activities?:
Humping a comely wench gained in battle. Can't do that in this day and age...

Can you name all 4 Teletubbies off your head?:
Yes. And the vacuum cleaner as featured in last night's UC.

Do you have any genetic abnormalities-such as webbed hands, 3 eyes, etc.? What are they?:
Yes. I don't know what they are.

Would you ever/have you ever taken candy from a complete stranger?:
Yep.

Who would you rather go on a date with: Fabio, Pee Wee Herman, Michael Jackson, Burt Reynolds, Dick Cheney, Bill Clinton, Richard Simmons, Hanson, New kids on the block, or your grandma? And why?:
Which of that lot swing my way? Hanson it is.

What's your favourite local restaurant?:
Tino's Pizza. Just for the name.

Do you sleep with a blanky, or teddy, or body pillow. And if so do you hug it and pretend it's a person when your asleep?:
No. Only proper people will do.

Do you have any tattoos on you? If so what?:
No.

What's your resting heart rate?:
76.

How many times have you been arrested?:
Nil.

Spousal abuse-good-bad-or a necessary evil?:
Duh.

This survey, good or bad?
Gravel.

Pop duo Tatu are seeking to reclaim their lesbian credentials by claiming they have sex with each other three times a day. Julia Volva and Lena Katti say they like to make love in the morning, at lunchtime and last thing at night, and regularly enjoy group sessions with female fans after gigs.

Speaking in an interview with a German newspaper, Julia said: "We really love each other and the sex is phenomenal. It's a thousand times better than with a man. And contrary to what others might say, we don't just talk about it. We have sex at least three times a day."

Lena said: "It doesn't bother us if it's a man or a woman. But it is not as much fun with men." Julia added: "I don't know about other men but Sussex men are like sewing machines - always just a quick stitch."

Went out yesterday morning with my camera. This is what I saw. Life doesn't get much better than that.

The second biggest piece of chutzpah you'll see this year came yesterday, when Mr George Bush, spokesmoron for the US militaristic junta, bleated that Iraq had breached international law by putting captured combatants on parade. This from the same US militaristic junta that launched an attack on Iraq in, er, blatant violation of international law. Bugger.

Speaking of which, what about that "chemical weapons" plant. Captured, then it turns out to have made nothing much of anything. In fact, if the US knew where the chemical, biological, and/or nuclear weapons were, how come *they* weren't Target #1 last Thursday morning, and not the Iraqi regime's figurehead? Indeed, if such CBN weapons exist, how come they've not been used by now? I smell a rat. A big rat.

Short cuts that probably won't mean anything to anybody, but I need to get off my chest.

1) What are you jibbering on about? If there was any vague sense of a coherent point, I'd have responded to it. They isn't, so I won't.

2) Being a United Station involves allowing the other man to speak. No matter how much you disagree with him.

3) Errors of fact, I will correct. Differences of opinion, I will listen to reason. Errors caused because you misinterpret, whether through ignorance or malice, remains your problem.

4) Semi-naked women on the telly at 7pm? What's the problem?

Most of yesterday was in the city centre, on a small(ish) protest against the war. Not a huge event, perhaps a thousand of us quietly marching through the city centre. On the grand scale of things, it means absolutely fuck all. Mr Blair is turning a deaf ear to protest, though whether he'll remain as passive when his movements become as circumscribed as Henry Kissinger's remains to be seen. But we are putting down a marker, and saying that we don't support the action.

Thankfully, there wasn't any sort of counter demonstration. That means I didn't have to put across the nuanced point that we have no argument with those ordered to carry out the policy, merely with those formulating that policy. It's far too complex an argument to scribble on an A2 placard. It's not difficult to understand, it's just not amenable to being condensed into a soundbite that the mythical Idiot Voter, to whom Labour targets its campaigns, could get at first go. Oh for the days of the public meeting, and of rational debate on the issues, not the slogans.

Anyway. No hostility penetrated my mental shields, and that can't be a bad thing.

What else? Looked for a map to Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti, no joy, and that doesn't surprise me. The best maps seem to be online, or published by the local transit commission. Completely forgot to get some more shampoo, but I'm sure I'll be passing near a Body Shop again before I run out.

Picked up the NME for something to leaf through on the train home. Avril's on the cover, as the foremost woman in rock. Apart from Kelly Osbourne, Ani DiFranco, Alanis Morissette and Pink, they might be right. (: Seriously, though, it would be far too easy to write off Scrappy as yet another media hype, all record company marketing and cheekbones and image. That would ignore the immense quality of the songs - even if they were mostly written by someone else, they are still first class tunes. Especially I'm With You, the one that's getting the pre-release shove at the moment, and that reveals new depths and hidden facets with every listen. If anyone knew why this chick has clicked in a way that so many others (waves to Clitring, Birtney's Pierced Pears, Robbie, David Craig) haven't, they could bottle it and make a mint.